Home Energy Advice Team (HEAT) April 2010 March 2012 Final Project Report

Transcription

1 Home Energy Advice Team (HEAT) April 2010 March 2012 Final Project Report

2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY NEA s Home Energy Advice Team has proved to be very successful project, considerably exceeding all of its targets. In total, 822 clients received telephone energy advice 316 clients received an energy/debt advice home visit 342 clients attended energy/debt advice surgeries 36 presentations were delivered to local organisations 14 workshops were delivered to local organisations With an average of 20 attendees at each of the 36 presentations, NEA estimates that a further 694 householders have benefitted from the HEAT project. Through the direct intervention provided by the HEAT project, NEA has helped to write off householder energy debts of 7, The success of HEAT is in many ways, sadly, a reflection of the scale of the problem of fuel poverty today. As energy prices continue to increase and income remains static or decreases then households will inevitably struggle with bills and home essentials. The project has concluded that demand for the type of services that HEAT provides has increased over the course of the project and in fact many more clients could have been helped if the project had more resources. Expanding the remit of HEAT to include the town of Rugby has been a positive addition to the programme providing a new line of support in the area. However, as demand for HEAT services is increasing, we must be mindful not to spread services too thin and consider how existing local networks can be strengthened to support residents. HEAT is recognised for its considerate, bespoke methods to supporting some of the most vulnerable householders in Coventry. This unique approach to providing assistance in what can often be very distressing circumstances is a vital component of the project and must be maintained. Whilst energy efficiency advice is recognised as being a valuable service for people struggling to heat their homes, often what is needed is direct practical help such as clearing/reducing a fuel debt, buying a new energy efficient washing machine or installing/repairing a boiler. As a result of the advice provided by NEA, client knowledge levels increased from an average of 2.5 to 7.0. This clearly demonstrates that existing levels of knowledge of energy efficiency/fuel debt amongst low income vulnerable householders can be very low and more needs to be done to improve basic home energy efficiency understanding amongst those people who could gain most benefit from it. Being part of a network of cohesive local organisations that share knowledge and cross-refer clients for additional support results in a much more holistic approach to service delivery for clients. As a result of delivering HEAT, NEA recommends that: the HEAT project continues to participate in the organisational network in the City in order to gain maximum benefit for clients and progress affordable warmth as a key local priority. Coventry City Council is encouraged to facilitate an affordable warmth group to consider ways in which shared objectives can be delivered and resourced collectively. consideration is given to the structure of the project and how peak periods of demand can be adequately resourced. the Charity works with Rugby Borough Council to establish whether there is a network of local agencies that are able to provide resident support services through a cross-referral mechanism. a programme of informal, interactive basic workshops on the practicalities of running a home, using and paying for fuel and managing bills are developed for young adults (15 18 years). These workshops could then be delivered to schools, colleges, community youth groups, sports clubs, Girl Guides, Scouts etc.

3 BACKGROUND During the coldest months, more than 1 in 4 households (25.9%) in Coventry are not be able to afford to heat and power their homes, this aligns with the West Midlands overall fuel poverty rate which as at 2009, stood at the highest level in Country with around 26% of households struggling with fuel bills. The average household faces an annual energy bill of more than 1,250-36% higher than in 2008 and more than double the average bill of NEA is the national fuel poverty charity, established over 30 years ago, which develops and promotes energy efficiency services to tackle the heating and insulation problems of low-income households. Working in partnership with central and local government; with fuel utilities, housing providers and health services; and with consumer organisations, NEA aims to eradicate fuel poverty and campaigns for greater investment in energy efficiency to help those who are poor or vulnerable. NEA s Coventry office is a local branch of the Charity and is fairly unique in that its focus is not campaigning, policy or research work, but instead, staff based in Coventry deliver frontline client support to local people living in fuel poverty tackling energy-related issues such as benefits entitlement, erroneous transfer between energy companies and debts linked to estimated bills. This work is vital to support local people and local agencies but also it informs and directs NEA s policy position providing an important connection to some of the most vulnerable people struggling with fuel poverty. The HEAT project commenced in February 2001 and was delivered in partnership with the Citizens Advice Bureau and other advice agencies in Coventry. Whilst energy advice and grant referrals remained central to the project there was a new focus on tackling fuel debt and disconnection through money, debt and benefits advice. The first phase of HEAT finished in 2003, having assisted almost 5,000 households. Delivery of HEAT from this date has been equally successful and demand for the support that the programme offers remains high. For the past eleven years, NEA has operated the Home Energy Advice Team (HEAT) project in Coventry with financial support from Coventry City Council, the Big Lottery Fund, ScottishPower Energy People Trust and Lloyds TSB Foundation. This current programme has been supported by Ebico Trust and ScottishPower Energy People Trust and operated from April 2010 to March Funding totalling 66,000 was provided by Ebico Trust which part-funded the HEAT project for two years. This final report sets out the activities, results, conclusions and recommendations of this project. INTRODUCTION The HEAT project provides advice, advocacy and support around all aspects of money advice to vulnerable fuel poor households including the elderly, families with young children, disabled households and black and ethnic minority groups. The project s uniqueness lies in that it delivers bespoke telephone advice along with face-to-face advice in the client s home in a holistic way to help deliver a solution to multiple problems faced by the client. Fuel debt is caused by a number of factors (e.g. poor energy efficiency in the property, low income, poor knowledge about financial systems), and this project will deliver solutions to all of these. Other money advisers in the area were not trained to provide energy advice whilst they may help a client to arrange to pay off a high fuel bill, they could not give advice which prevents its recurrence. Fuel debt cases are complex, and many households only seek support when the situation is desperate. The HEAT project aimed to undertake the following activities: Personal home energy advice visits Home energy advice surgeries Telephone advice Presentations to local organisations and community groups Specific outputs were not included as part of the original proposal agreement. However, in order to provide a framework for this project, NEA devised a set of outputs to which the project has worked. The table below sets out outputs and targets measured over the two years.

4 Output No. of clients receiving telephone energy advice No. of clients receiving an energy/debt advice home visit No. of clients attending energy/ debt advice surgeries No. of presentations delivered to local organisations Year 1 Target Year 2 Target Programme Target The overall intended outcome of HEAT is to increase local residents awareness of the solutions to fuel poverty and fuel debt with the overall aim of removing them from fuel poverty and/or avoiding the future fuel poverty trap. In the short term, the project will equip local people with the knowledge to be able to reduce their fuel bills and maximise their income. In the longer-term, the project will aim to help local residents enjoy a good quality of life, not affected by ill health or social isolation, proven consequences of living in fuel poverty for significant periods. It will encourage people to undertake behavioural change, there-by impacting on their long term energy use and fuel bills. The following outcomes were agreed for the HEAT project: Aim Outcome Indicator To enable people to access energy efficiency and fuel debt People are able to access advice Number of people accessing advice advice To improve accessibility to advice and information Improved accessibility Range/ type of groups accessing advice To raise awareness of energy efficiency & fuel debt issues Increased awareness of energy efficiency & fuel debt issues Level of awareness before and after NEA intervention To increase knowledge of energy efficiency & fuel debt issues Increased knowledge of energy efficiency & fuel debt issues Level of knowledge before and after NEA intervention DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITIES NEA is fairly unique in Coventry through its provision of a range of advisory support services including bespoke telephone advice face-to-face advocacy sessions personal home visits drop-in surgeries presentations to local organisations and community groups Through this project, these services have been extended to support not only Coventry residents but also those in neighbouring Rugby (excluding home visits). HEAT clients, who include some of the most vulnerable householders including the elderly, families with young children, the disabled and black and minority ethnic communities are offered a holistic energy efficiency advice service encompassing money management advice, budgeting skills, advocacy and support around all aspect of fuel poverty and fuel debt. The transient and diverse nature of the population, particularly in Coventry, has resulted in a broad cross-section of people contacting the HEAT project seeking support. However, the project has also seen an increase more recently in people from what are considered to be the more affluent areas of the City asking for help and advice.

5 Throughout the two year term of the HEAT project, NEA has widely promoted the services on offer through events organised by partner agencies and in fact, the help and support provided by NEA was selected and featured in a Panorama Programme. Articles have featured on the local Coventry and Warwickshire radio and partnership activities were also featured in the Nuneaton News during the Citizens Advice Bureau s Big Energy Week campaign as well as the local free newspaper. Whilst NEA has delivered a programme of promotional activities to raise awareness of the support that HEAT can offer, word of mouth still continues to be a valuable and credible communication method for the project. The HEAT project has been extraordinarily successful and has considerably overachieved all of its targets. The table below outlines outputs, targets and achievements over the two years. Activity Year 1 Year 2 Total Programme No. of clients receiving telephone energy advice No. of clients receiving an energy/debt advice home visit No. of clients attending energy/ debt advice surgeries No. of presentations delivered to local organisations No. of workshops delivered to local organisations Target Actual Target Actual Target Actual Whilst both years of the project have individually been successful, the second year, 2011/12, has seen a significant increase in the amount of advice provided by telephone (822) and through home visits (316). As more and more households struggle financially to meet their energy needs, demand for good quality, independent advice is also on the increase. In Coventry, partnerships between the City Council and other community organisations has brought the issue of fuel poverty into sharp focus stimulating a response from householders to seek advice and support. The added incentive of social tariffs being replaced by the Warm Homes Discount and the impending demise of the Warm Front Grant have also contributed to an increase in householder interest and motivation to seek assistance. Home visits are provided to the most vulnerable householders who would otherwise find attending a meeting in NEA s office difficult or impossible to manage. The funding provided by EBICO Trust directly supported 316 of NEA s most vulnerable clients to receive personalized energy efficiency and fuel bill advice in their own home. 342 householders took advantage of HEAT s outreach services provided through a partnership arrangement to provide drop-in surgeries at local advice centers across Coventry and Citizens Advice Bureaux in Rugby and Atherston. This has extended the reach of HEAT across North and South Warwickshire areas. To support the continued development of the HEAT network, 36 presentations and talks to community groups and professionals were given during the course of the project. This enabled the project to proactively reach a further 694 people to provide them with general household energy awareness and information about how to access local help and support. In the course of delivering these sessions, 760 information packs were distributed. A full list of community groups that received presentations from HEAT is included in Appendix 1. Testimonies from some of the agencies involved in the HEAT network are included in Appendix 2. In addition to the outputs reported on throughout the programme, NEA also developed and delivered a workshop session aimed at raising awareness of energy efficiency amongst groups who may be most susceptible to fuel poverty. 14 workshops were delivered to 152 delegates in the second year of HEAT from groups such as:

6 Coventry Pensioners Convention, Coventry Alzheimer s Society, Gosford Park Residents Association, Stoke Aldermore Community Association, ASPIRE (Access, Support, Plan Implement, Review and Evaluate), Citizens Advice Bureau Rugby, St Barnabus Day Centre, Shanti Bhavan Ladies Group, Coventry Breathe Easy Group, Coventry Carers. In order to reach those hard to reach householders who would not necessarily come forward for help, NEA attended and organised 12 stalls at local events, fetes and meetings. A total of 384 people visited the stalls and took away information on energy efficiency, fuel debt and fuel poverty. Another local initiative designed to raise awareness of energy efficiency and fuel poverty has resulted in the recruitment of Volunteer Community Energy Fit Champions who work within their own communities to offer basic energy efficiency advice, referring those clients who require more in-depth support to NEA staff. Support and Beneficiaries Some tangible help and assistance can be available for energy consumers who find it difficult to keep warm affordably and/or struggle with fuel debt however, many householders, particularly those who are the most vulnerable, are not aware or are unable to readily access the support. This is what makes the services offered by HEAT so vital and so successful. HEAT initially provides advice and advocacy support to householders to alleviate any current energy problems they may have but then importantly, provides them with the knowledge and skills to manage their energy usage and bills more effectively in the future. The Outcomes section of this report provides more detail regarding the effect of the HEAT project on householders, how they manage their energy, and their general welfare as a result of this programme. However, the table below provides a breakdown of the tangible outcomes that clients received through their contact with the HEAT project. Assistance Outcome No. of Clients Cavity Wall Insulation 10 Loft Insulation 17 Fuel Debt Advice 180 Energy Advice 323 Warm Front Grant 40 Warm Front Excess Payment 6 Fridge 1 Cooker 4 Boiler Service/Repair 63 Fire Service/Repair 10 New Boiler 8 New Fire 1 Other 29 Through the direct intervention provided by the HEAT project, NEA has helped to write off householder energy debts of 7, The HEAT project is available to all residents of Coventry and Rugby, however, in order understand the make-up of people accessing the service, which can help in targeting and communications, NEA records some basic personal details from those clients who are willing to provide information.

7 Ethnic Group No. of Clients. %age of Overall White % Mixed 9 2% Asian or British Asian 49 12% Black or Black British 72 18% Chinese or Other Ethnic 2 0.5% Not Stated 28 7% Age Profile of clients (years) No. of Clients %age of Overall 15 or less % % % % 85 and over 24 4% The heart of HEAT s results lie in the effect that the support has on real people struggling to heat their homes. Clearing an outstanding fuel debt, acquiring a new kitchen appliance through a Trust Fund or simply providing the peace of mind that household energy needs can be met affordably can make a vast difference to an individual s confidence and perspective on life. Through HEAT, NEA has been able to make a real difference to real people and case studies are provided in Appendix 3. PROJECT OUTCOMES This project aimed to enable people in Coventry to access energy efficiency and fuel debt advice. This outcome was measured by recording the number of people who access advice and support from NEA s Coventry office. Over the two year duration of HEAT, 1,480 people received advice directly from the project through telephone advice, a personal home visit or a one to one meeting at NEA s office or a drop-in surgery. This figure is considerably higher than the target number of clients that the project originally aimed to support as the demand for good quality, in depth fuel bill/debt advice has increased over the two year period of the HEAT project. In fact, at peak demand times, with more resources, the project could have helped even more people struggling to pay their fuel bills. To further support the outcome detailed above, the HEAT project also aimed to improve accessibility to advice and information. This outcome was measured by recording the quantity, range and type of groups accessing advice and information from the HEAT project. This activity enabled NEA, not only to react to requests from groups for further information for their members, but also to pro-actively target groups whose members may be particularly susceptible to the effects of fuel poverty. In total, presentations were made to 36 groups across Coventry with broad memberships that enabled the project to make contact with the elderly, young mums, people with disabilities, carers, BME communities and people with health issues. With an average of 20 attendees at each presentation, NEA estimates that a further 694 householders not included in the project outputs have an increased awareness of solutions to fuel debt and energy efficiency. A full list of community groups that received presentations from HEAT is included in Appendix 1. Achieving numbers of outputs is a driver to progress delivery of a project and one measure of its success, however, demonstrating a positive shift in knowledge and understanding proves the real impact of an activity. The HEAT project aimed to raise awareness and increase knowledge of energy efficiency & fuel debt issues. This was measured through a sample of clients who were surveyed in order to record movement in their understanding, knowledge and awareness of energy efficiency and fuel debt. Using a scale of 1 to 10, clients were asked before and after their contact with the HEAT project to record their level of understanding of energy efficiency. 100% of clients who participated in this exercise, recorded a positive movement in their knowledge levels taking the original average

8 knowledge level from 2.5 up to 7.0. Overall, the mean average increase in knowledge movement was 4.5. These results clearly demonstrate the practical benefits of the personal advice that the HEAT project offers and evidence the achievements that the project has made. However, they also highlight the relatively low level of existing knowledge and understanding of energy efficiency and fuel debt amongst low income vulnerable householders. CONCLUSIONS HEAT has been incredibly successful, over-achieving all of its targets which sadly, in many ways, is a reflection of the scale of the problem of fuel poverty. As energy prices continue to increase and income remains static or decreases then households will inevitably struggle with bills and home essentials. Demand for the type of services that HEAT provides has increased over the course of the project and in fact many more clients could have been helped if the project had more resources. However, there are distinct peaks of demand for assistance which follow the quarterly billing cycle and, as resources are always likely to be tight, future programmes may need to try to align services with these touchpoints. Expanding the remit of HEAT to include the town of Rugby has been a positive addition to the programme providing a new line of support in the area. However, as demand for HEAT services is increasing, we must be mindful not to spread services too thin and consider how existing local networks can be strengthened to support residents. HEAT is recognised for its considerate, bespoke methods to supporting some of the most vulnerable householders in Coventry. This unique approach to providing assistance in what can often be very distressing circumstances is a vital component of the project and must be maintained. Whilst energy efficiency advice is recognised as being a valuable service for people struggling to heat their homes, often what is needed is direct practical help such as clearing/reducing a fuel debt, buying a new energy efficient washing machine or installing/repairing a boiler. Projects such as HEAT are vital to provide tangible financial/practical support to vulnerable householders who would otherwise be unable to access this assistance. As a result of the advice provided by NEA, client knowledge levels increased from an average of 2.5 to 7.0. This clearly demonstrates that existing levels of knowledge of energy efficiency/fuel debt amongst low income vulnerable householders can be very low and more needs to be done to improve basic home energy efficiency understanding amongst those people who could gain most benefit from it. Being part of a network of cohesive local organisations that share knowledge and cross-refer clients for additional support results in a much more holistic approach to service delivery for clients. As general awareness of fuel poverty amongst professionals has increased, these relationships have developed further and NEA expects that local networks such as the one that operates in Coventry will go from strength to strength. RECOMMENDATIONS Coventry s network of local organisations, all with a common aim to provide support to Coventry residents, is a strong partnership that demonstrates that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, by providing a holistic service. NEA recommends that the HEAT project continues to participate in the organisational network in the City in order to gain maximum benefit for clients and progress affordable warmth as a key local priority. As this report details, the targets originally set for the project have been considerably exceeded and in fact many more householders could have been supported if more resources were available. Whilst funding is generally scarce, as more agencies become aware of how fuel poverty impacts on the lives of their clients, there could also be more opportunities to make direct connections with other organizations to deliver on shared objectives. Local authorities with their relatively new public health remit have a role to play in bringing together issues that affect housing, the local economy, health and general wellbeing. NEA recommends that Coventry City Council is encouraged to facilitate an

9 affordable warmth group to consider ways in which shared objectives can be delivered and resourced collectively. In the short term the HEAT project will need to consider how it responds to the increasing demand for its services and as such, NEA recommends that consideration is given to the structure of the project and how peak periods of demand can be adequately resourced. Whilst expanding the services of HEAT into Rugby has been successful, with the previous two recommendations in mind, NEA is cautious not to spread its services too thin. Nevertheless, Rugby, like Coventry, has its own fuel poverty problems and its residents need help and advice and so NEA recommends that the Charity works with Rugby Borough Council to establish whether there is a network of local agencies that are able to provide resident support services through a cross-referral mechanism. As this report has described, householder levels of knowledge of energy efficiency/fuel debt prior to involvement in the HEAT project is very low (an average of 2.5 out of 10). This means that much of the work that HEAT does to support householders is retrospective, resolving problems that have occurred due to this lack of understanding. Moving into your first home can be an exciting / daunting / worrying experience but with it comes a great deal of responsibility and so it is important that, before any problems can start, young people have the necessary basic knowledge of how to run their home and manage household bills. NEA recommends that a programme of informal, interactive basic workshops on the practicalities of running a home, using and paying for fuel and managing bills are developed for young adults (15 18 years). These workshops could then be delivered to schools, colleges, community youth groups, sports clubs, Girl Guides, Scouts etc. This report was produced on 10 May 2012 by; Lorraine Donaldson Project Development Manager NEA Lorraine.donaldson@nea.org.uk Mob:

10 APPENDIX 1 Presentations to Community Groups Community Group Type of Group 1 Friends Programme Family Support Group 2 Stoke Aldermore Community Centre, Residents Association 3 One Body One Life course Health Awareness Group 4 Vaccination & Immunisation Health Awareness Group 5 Health and Fitness course Health Awareness Group 6 Health and Fitness course Health Awareness Group 7 Group Talk to Somali Women s Network BME Women 8 Occupational Therapy Team Meeting Health Support Group 9 DIMHS Forum Meeting Disability & Mental Health 10 ASPIRE (Access, Support, Plan, Implement, Health Support Group Review, Evaluate) 11 Whitefriars Housing Association Housing Association 2 Heart & Neck Cancer Support Group Health Support Group 13 Holbrooks Health Team, Flu Campaign Patients 14 Holbrooks Health Team, Flu Campaign Patients 15 Holbrooks Health Team, Flu Campaign Patients 16 Whitefriars Housing Association Housing Association 17 Health and Safety Check Health Awareness Group 18 Health Talk Health Support Group 19 CAB Bedworth Advice Group 20 Waterwise Talk Residents Association 21 Gosford Park Residence Association Residents Association 22 City Mission Luncheon Group Faith Group 23 Coventry Pensioners Convention Pensioners Support Group 24 Coventry Carers Group Meeting, St Peters Carers Support Group Centre 25 Healthy Leg - Willenhall Health Awareness Group 26 Asian Blind Ass, St Peters Community Centre Support group for Blind BME 27 St Barnabus Day Centre, Foleshill Faith Group 28 Postnatal Clinic, Tile Hill Children s Centre Health Awareness Group 29 Stay n Play, Limbrick Wood Primary School Mother & Toddlers Group 30 Antenatal Baby Fair Health Awareness Group 31 Coventry Community Mental Health Centre, Health Awareness Group 32 Alzheimer s Society - Coventry Support Group 33 Tile Hill Health Centre Health Awareness Group 34 Neighbourhood Action Team Meeting, Moat Council Support Team House 35 Groundwork Trainees visit to NEA Coventry Apprentice Awareness Office 36 Rugby West Indian Club BME Group

11 APPENDIX 2 Partner Testimonies Testimony 1 Coventry Law Centre We have been funded to provide Fuel Debt Advice by British Gas Energy Trust since July We wanted to have NEA as a partner in our project as we acknowledge their expertise in this area. We believe in partnership working, where different partners can bring valuable experience to a project. This is why our Fuel Debt Project has been so successful. We have built on the base that NEA provided and have visited many homes in the Coventry to advise clients about fuel debt and energy efficiency. We have also received support from local NEA advisers regarding referrals between each organisation and also discussions regarding particular cases. NEA has also assisted with grant awards for some of our clients. With the help of NEA we have raised the profile of Fuel Poverty in Coventry. Without the expertise and assistance of NEA we do not feel that our Project would have been as successful. Testimony 2 North Warwickshire Citizens Advice Bureau I would just like to say that North Warwickshire Citizens Advice Bureau have been very pleased with the service that NEA has been offering. With regard to appointments we have had an excellent take up when advising that NEA attend the bureau and it has been particularly useful with regard to our financial capability project clients. One of the issues we look at when giving budgeting advice is how much the client is paying for their fuel and your service certainly complements this in helping clients make savings. The feedback we have received has also been very positive. Testimony 3 Manor Court Baptist Church - Nuneaton We have really appreciated NEA attending our drop-in sessions and know that they have been able to help some of our clients in a significant way. We were delighted that one of our clients had 120 taken off her fuel bill and we have been really pleased with the advice and support offered to other clients. Our vision is to provide holistic help to our clients by providing specialist support at our sessions to address the many difficulties faced by them in getting back on their feet after a crisis in their lives. Our food parcels are of limited use if our clients are unable to afford the gas or electricity to cook the meals. NEA's expertise has helped us to provide relevant and very practical help to our clients. It is a pity that the lives of many of our clients are not sufficiently organised to bring along the necessary information when NEA attends Community Chest but for those who do make the effort, the help received makes a huge difference to their plight. Testimony 3 Coventry Refugee Centre On behalf of the Education Team and the students, I would like to thank you for giving your time to deliver your presentation. The feedback we have received from the students has been very positive. They all felt that the information and topics included were extremely helpful and relevant in giving them a better understanding of life in Coventry and the UK. Should our bid for continuation funding be successful we look forward to working with you again in the future.

12 APPENDIX 3 Case Studies CASE STUDY 1 Client: Ms B F with a child under 5 years of age Age: 18 years Ethnic Origin: White English Main Issue(s): Energy advice, operation of electric storage heaters, two-rate electricity meter (Economy 7) and Warm Home Discount. A home visit was arranged. Solution(s) Offered: Ms B F s home has a two-rate electricity meter. NEA explained that using electrical appliances such as washing machines and tumble dryers outside the Economy 7 period would incur premium unit charges. (NEA noted that the client was using her tumble dryer at the time of visit). NEA fully explained how electric storage heaters operate and the importance of setting the controls appropriately, particularly if inclement weather is forecast the previous night. A Take Control booklet was given to the client. Household energy efficiency was discussed with Ms B F. In particular, NEA recommended that thick curtains on the sliding doors leading to a balcony would be useful to help to reduce heat loss and that wherever possible and practical, energy efficient bulbs should be fitted around the flat. Since the client was claiming Income Support and has a child under 5 years of age, she qualifies for the Warm Home Discount under the Broader Group category. NEA notified her energy company on her behalf and it was confirmed that she would receive the Discount at the end of March To ensure that all opportunities to provide energy efficiency assistance had been explored, NEA also arranged for Ms B F s energy company s Energy Efficiency Advisor to call. Benefit(s) to Household: By following the advice provided, Ms B F would have scope to reduce her electricity consumption through low cost/no cost energy efficiency measures and changing her usage pattern to maximise the low rate unit cost of the Economy 7 tariff. The Warm Home Discount of 130 will be a welcome bonus to help provide basic home essentials as Ms B F has only recently moved into her flat and has minimal facilities. Result(s): Ms B F was happy with the advice and support offered and volunteered to take part in NEA s Warm Homes Campaign to raise awareness to others of help that is available. CASE STUDY 2 Client: Mrs E J Age: 67 Ethnic Origin: White British Main Issue(s): Mrs E J was in debt to her energy company for Her energy company had increased her monthly repayment from 25 to 35 and then more recently to 69 an amount that she was simply unable to afford. The client had previously contacted her energy company to try to resolve the problem but they were only prepared to reduce the repayment amount to 57 per month an amount that she could still not afford to pay. NEA arranged a home visit with Mrs E J. Solution(s) Offered: NEA made contact with Mrs E J s energy company and, after escalating the matter to a Manager, was able to arrange for the monthly repayment to be reduced to 52. The client uses approximately 32 per month and the corresponding debt recovery is 20. NEA explained to Mrs E J the importance of maintaining regular payments to her energy company so that once the debt is paid, her monthly energy cost will reduce to just the 32 for actual usage. NEA also advised Mrs E J that she should consider having both her gas and electricity supplied by the same energy company in order to take advantage of dual fuel discounts. It was also explained that further savings could be made by exploring online, fixed price direct debit tariffs of offer. Benefit(s) to Household: Following NEA s intervention the client is now paying her energy company almost the minimum amount required for her to break even which is an affordable amount for her. Result(s): Mrs E J expressed her sense of relief that her monthly energy payment is now affordable. CASE STUDY 3 Client: Ms R A, has a son who is disabled Age: 40 Ethnic Origin: BME (Pakistani) Main Issue(s): Ms R A, who is on a standard tariff, had just received her quarterly fuel bills for both gas and electricity which totalled 423. The client had requested energy efficiency advice and also wanted to check whether she was on the correct tariff and if there were other means of support to assist in paying her current fuel bill. A home visit was arranged. Solution(s) Offered: NEA advised the client that, by changing her payment method to direct debit, she could begin to make savings on her energy bills. As Ms R A had access to a computer, she was

13 also informed about the possible savings that could be made by switching supplier online and NEA demonstrated how price comparison websites can give an indication of the possible savings to be made. During the demonstration, it was found that Ms R A could save 194 per year if she switched to another supplier. NEA pointed out however, that this would require her to manage her account online and pay by monthly direct debit and that she would also be locked into a fixed price tariff until May 2013 which had penalties if the client breached the contract. Ms R A is in receipt of a means tested benefit and her income threshold is below 16,190 per annum. Also, as she is the career for her disabled son, she qualified for a Warm Home Discount of 120 which NEA claimed for her on her behalf. The Warm Home Discount would be credited to Ms R A s electricity account at the end of March As the client lives in a housing association property, she was also advised to make contact with her landlord to assess whether there is scope to install loft and/or cavity wall insulation. Benefit(s) to Household: As a result of the intervention by the HEAT project, Ms R A has the potential to make direct savings on her energy bills of 314 this year. Further savings/comfort could be achieved if insulation measures are required and installed. Result(s): The client was unaware of the scale of the potential saving to be made by simply switching her energy supplier(s) and confirmed her intention to do this. CASE STUDY 4 Client: Mrs S D Age: 32 years old Lone Parent with 6 Children, youngest under 5 years of age. Ethnic Origin: African Main Issue(s): Mrs S D was referred to NEA by a Community Energy Fit Champion because her electricity bills had been particularly high and she could not understand why. She is currently paying her fuel usage and an existing fuel debt through Fuel Direct but has struggled to keep to her budget. Solution(s) Offered: Initially, NEA investigated the reasons for Mrs S D s high electricity bills. It was established that whilst refurbishing the flat, the Registered Social Landlord had replaced the immersion heater and hot water tank system with a gas condensing boiler and radiators but that the Economy 7 meter had not been replaced which meant that the client was paying a premium rate for her daytime electricity use without the benefit of the low rate electricity at night. NEA arranged with the electricity supplier to replace the Economy 7 meter with a single rate meter. During the discussion with Mrs S D it was apparent that she would be eligible for a Warm Home Discount. NEA made contact with the energy supplier and they agreed that 120 would be credited to the client s electricity account at the end of March NEA gave Mrs S D home energy advice and explained how older electrical appliances were more expensive to run as they can be very inefficient. Mrs S D s washing machine was very old and regularly broke down and so NEA applied to her energy supplier who agreed to replace the client s old inefficient washing machine with a new washing machine worth 250. The client was advised to contact the HEAT project once her fuel debt had been repaid to check if a cheaper alternative tariff was available. Benefit(s) to Household: As a result of this visit, Mrs S D will receive direct support to the value of 370. In addition, the new washing machine should not only prove to be more reliable but will also help to reduce her electricity bills as it is much more energy efficient than her old one. Changing to a single rate meter should also further reduce her fuel bills. Result(s): Mrs S D now has a reliable energy efficient washing machine that, along with all her other electrical items, she can use on a lower rate. Her electricity account will also benefit from 120 Warm Home Discount giving her additional financial support.